Songs For The Weekend #2

In case you haven’t noticed already, winter (or at least the Kenyan version of it) is officially upon us. Getting out of bed these days is a drawn out battle between the elements (i.e. the brutal cold waiting outside the warm, cozy trappings of my blanket) and me. The cold usually wins. But there is some good news: The weekend starts tomorrow, meaning I’m allowed to ignore my alarm and bury myself in my fortress of blankets whilst I hibernate for the next 48hrs. So…Please. Do. Not. Disturb.

Oh, and before I go, here’s a little playlist I made just for you.

Have a frostbite-free weekend!

Kagwe Mungai – Doctor

Wearing as many hats as he does, Kagwe Mungai should be a really big deal here in Kenya. His fresh sound is a hybrid of various influences from R&B to dancehall, and his newest track doesn’t disappoint. Doctor is a laid-back and catchy dancehall inspired track that should feel at home on the dancefloor (where else?) or in your living room on a lazy weekend.

Sarkodie – Bossy ft. Jayso

“It’s 2016 and I’m feeling bossy,” claims Sarkodie in his latest release, Bossy. In the track, tired of being ignored in spite of his obvious prowess, Sarkodie marks his own territory: He is a king, but he’s not going to be bothered about wearing a crown. Make no mistake, Bossy is a diss-track obviously aimed at some rappers on the Ghanaian hip-hop scene. Sarkodie doesn’t pull any punches as he delivers his lines raw and straight from the heart – something he reminds us makes the best rappers.

Beatoven – Vida Loka ft. Delcio Dollar & Loreta KBA

Beatoven isn’t African, but in Portugal, his homeland, he is surely one young producer everyone needs to keep an eye out for. For the track Vida Loka he teams up with Angola’s ‘bad boy‘ rapper Delcio Dollar and Portuguese rapper Loreta KBA to create chill trap that makes it hard to move away from the rewind button.

Dope St. Jude – Light of the Moon (Claire De Lune) ft. Janeli

Conscious hip-hop isn’t dead, there are still a few artists who aren’t afraid to walk the line between making good music and letting their voice be heard. Cape Town native Dope St. Jude is one of those people. Light of the Moon, is taken of her recently released EP, Reimagine which you can download here. In the track, she samples classic French composer Debussy’s Claire de Lune over minimal production that really let’s her message sound clearly through the entire track.

Yemi Alade – Koffi Annan

Yemi Alade needs no introduction; she is an artist who works tirelessly releasing hit after hit on the African continent. Her latest output, Koffi Anan, is taken from her recent album ‘Mama Africa: The Diary of an African Woman. The track is catchy enough to have you singing along in less than a minute after it starts and by the time the hook comes in, you’ll already be doing the ‘Koffi Anan’.

Emana Cheezy – Sono

Emana Cheezy, like Delcio Dollar, is part of the new wave of rappers taking over the Angolan scene. In the track Sono, Emana Cheezy sticks to his hip-hop influence layering his vocals over a slow piano chords and rhythmic R&B beats which makes the chill track feel dynamic and enjoyable.